Material mixing and filling machine



May 29, 1951 THOMAS 2,555,066

MATERIAL MIXING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 1J Inventor Tam Thmws Attamlsjv's May 29, 1951 THOMAS 2,555,066

' MATERIAL MIXING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet2 Inventor May 29, 1951 T. THOMAS 2,555,066

MATERIAL MIXING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed Sept. l, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 3Fig. 5.

Inventor 7 Tom Thomas By 2mm".

May 29, 1951 THOMAS 2,555,066

MATERIAL MIXING AND FILLING MACHINE Filed Sept. 1, 1949 I 4 Sheets-Sheet4 Inventor Fig. 7.

Patented May 29, 1951 "UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE MATERIAL MIXING ANDFILLING MACHINE Tom Thomas, Houston, Tex. Application September 1, 1949,Serial No. 113,519

9 Claims. 1 The present invention relates to a new and novel combinationmaterial mixing and filling machine.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a device for fillingin underneath houses or buildings that are built close to the ground soas to prevent water from standing under these buildings.

Another object of the invention is to provide novel structure forsatisfactorily mixing sand and water for eventual distributionunderneath buildings.

A further object is to provide a machine which will both mix sand andWater and discharge the mixture for under building fill-in.

V A yet further object of this invention is to combine the functions ofa positive displacement pump with that of a mixing mechanism.

These,ltogether with the various ancillary objects' of the inventionwhich will later become apparent as the following description proceeds,are attained by this device, the preferred embodiment of which has beenillustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings,wherein:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the left side of the major portionsof thepresent invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the embodiment of the device shown inFigure '1;

Figure 3 is a vertical cross sectional view, taken along line 3--3 inFigure 2 showing the details of the mixing mechanism in greatest detail;

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of a portion of thedevice, taken along line 44 in Figure 3;

Figure 5 is an elevational view of the right side of the major portionsof the space filling machine;

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of themachine; and,

Figure 7 is a vertical cross sectional view of the device taken alongline TI-J as in Figure 6. Referring now more particularly to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like numerals designate similar partsthroughout the various views, attention is directed first to Figures 1,2, and '7. Reference numeral 10 generally designates an open'top hopperor vat having a front wall i2, rear wall 14, side walls l6 and I8, andbottom 20. Inner convergent falseside, rear and bottom walls 22 areprovidedwithin the vat. The vat is 'slidably mounted by means of bearingcollars 24, attached to the rear wall 14, to a pair of posts 26supported on the chassis of atr'ailer vehicle generally designated byreference numeral 28. A channel shaped'cross bar 30 is fastened on andextends between the upper ends of the posts 26. Pulleys 32 are journaledin the channel bar. A shaft 33 is journaled in bearings 36 on the rearof the vehicle and is provided with a ratchet handle 38. Another channelcross bar 40 is secured between the upper pair of bearing collars 26 andcarries eye members 42. By means of suitable ropes 44 attached to theeye members 42 and the shaft 34 the entire vat is slidably raisable uponthe posts 26 when it is desired to move the machine to a differentlocation.

Referring now to Figures 2, 3, 4, and 7., it can be seen'that an archedwire mesh screen 46-is secured to the open top vat in its lower portionsby means of bolts 48 and rubber or like yieldable mountingsfifl.'A.vibrator assembly 52 comprising a vibrated member welded to thescreen 46, includes a vibrating member comprising an eccentric 54rotated through shaft linkage 56 and bevel gear 58. The vibratorassembly extends through the false rear wall 22 and is supported by therear wall l4. Suitable driving means including a motor 60 for thevibrator assembly is carried by the chassis 28.

Secured immediately below the screen 46 is a spray bar 62 comprising acylinder having closed ends and having a plurality of apertures therein.A pipe 64 connects the spray bar 62 with a valve 66 which is connectedbymeans of flexible hose 68 to a water tank 'Hl having a closure 72 fora filler opening in the upper portion thereof. Beneath the water tank 10is suitably mounted the axle 13 for a pair of ground-engaging wheels 14.

Rotatably journaled in the false side wall 22 of the vat It! is theshaft 16 of a screw conveyor 18. A sprocket wheel s rigidly fastened tothe shaft 76, anda chain 82 passes around the sprocket wheel 80. Thechain 82 is driven by chain drive means 84 connected to a motor 86 onthe chassis 2B. The spiral blade 88 of the conveyor 78 is provided withapertures 90. Scoops 92 are formed by turning back tongues produced informing the apertures 90. Other scoops 94 are welded upon the shaft 16.

. Adjacent the end of the conveyor '18 opposite that which carries thesprocket wheel the vat has a discharge aperture 96 in the rear falsewall 22 in which nipple 98 is positioned. Secured to the nipple is asuction hose me which is connected to the inlet of a pump Hi2 driven bythe motor 86; Valve I04 isp rovided in the suction hose line mo tocontrol flow of fluid therethrough." An outlet hose N36 is attached tothe pump I02.

The operation of the combined material mixing and fillingma'chine is asfollows: Sand is dumped into the open top vat l and is piled upon thewire mesh screen 46. Water is gravity fed from the tank through the hose68 and valve 66 through the pipe 64 into spray bar 62 where it is thendischarged into the lower part of the vat Ill. The vibrator 52 isactuated by the power unit 60 and both vibrates the sand above thescreen and sifts the sand through the screen into the conveyor 18. Theconveyor 18 is rotated by the chains 82, the chain driving means 84, andthe motor 8'6. The conveyor revolves so as to mix the sand and water,and at the same time, because of the pitch of its spiral bladepositively displaces the mixture towards the discharge aperture 96.Additionally, the scoops 92 and 94 on the blades and the shaft of theauger respectively pick up water from the bottom of the .vat and throwthe water above the wire mesh screen. The water contacts the sand andaided by the vibrator causes sand and water to fall down into the auger.The pump I02, driven by motor 86 sucks the mixture through the dischargeaperture 9 through the suction hose I00 and pumps the mixture throughthe hose I66 to discharge it underneath a, house or building. The wateris then drained off, and the sand remains thereby raising the level ofthe ground.

It can be easily understood that the material mixing and filling machinecomprising a chassis having a water tank, a vibrator power unit, a

motor, a pump, may be easily transported as a trailer for an automotivevehicle, from one location to another after raising the vat' by simplyturning the handle 38.

Since, from the foregoing, the construction and advantages of thecombined material mixing and filling machine is readily apparent,further explanation is believed to be unnecessary;

However, since numerous modifications will readily occur to thoseskilled in the art after a consideration of the foregoing specificationand accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the invention tothe exact construction illustrated and described, but all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to which fall within thescope of the ppended claims.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

l. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, a fluid deliveryoutlet secured below said screen and to the end walls of said vat, anauger rotatably secured to said vat along a longitudinal axis below saidscreen, and suction means extending through a side wall of said vatadjacent the delivery end of said auger.

2. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, a fluid deliveryoutlet secured below said screen and to the end walls of said vat, anauger rotatably secured to said vat along a longitudinal axis below saidscreen, and suction means extending through a side wall of said vatadjacent the delivery end of said auger, .said fluid delivery outletcomprising a, cylinder having closed ends and having a plurality ofspaced apertures therein, and said delivery outlet having an inletconnection whereby fluid can be supplied to the outlet apertures.

3. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, a fluid deliveryoutlet secured below said screen and to the end walls of said vat, anauger rotatably secured to said vat along a longitudinal axis below saidscreen, and suction means extending through a side wall of said vatadjacent the delivery end of said auger, said fluid delivery outletcomprising a cylinder having closed ends and having a plurality ofspaced apertures therein, and said delivery outlet having an inletconnection whereby fluid can be supplied to the outlet apertures, avibrator carried by an end wall of said vat and attached to said screen,and means to actuate said vibrator whereby said screen can be agitated.

4. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length ofa lower portion of said-vat, a fluid deliveryoutlet secured below said screenand to the end walls of said Vat, anauger rotatably secured to said vat along a longitudinal axis below saidscreen, and suction means extending through a side wall of said vatadjacent thedelivery end of said auger, the blade of said auger beingprovided with a plurality of scoops, said scoops comprising outwardlystruck tongues forming apertures in said blade.

5. A material mixing and filling machine com,- prising an open top vat,a screen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, a fluid deliveryoutlet secured, below said screen and to the end walls of said vat, anauger rotatably secured to said vat along a longitudinalv axis belowsaid screen, and suction means extending through a sidewall of said vatadjacent the delivery end of said auger, the blade ofsaid auger beingprovided with a plurality of scoops, said scoops comprising outwardlystruck tongues forming apertures in said blade, and scoops fixedlysecured to the shaft of said auger, said scoops comprising metal flangespositioned in substantially perpendicular relation to said shaft. 7

6. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open.top vat,.ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, means for vibratingsaid screen operatively attached to said screen and carried by an endwall of said vat, fluid delivery means secured below said screen and tothe end walls of said. vat, an auger rotatably secured to said vat alonga longitudinal axis below saidscreen, means, to rotate said augeroperatively secured thereto, and suction means extending through a sidewall of said vat in communication with the delivery end of said augerwhereby the mixed material can be expelled from the vat.

7. A material.v mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, means for vibratingsaid screen operatively at tached to said screen and carried by an endwall of said vat, fluid delivery means secured below said screen and.toy the end. wall of said vat, an auger rotatably securedtosaid vatalong a longitudinal aXis below said screen, means, tojrotate said augeroperatively secured thereto, andv suction means extending through, aside wall of said vat in communication with the delivery end of saidauger, the blade of said auger being provided with a plurality ofscoops, said scoops comprising outwardly struck tongues formingapertures in said blade.

8. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned Within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, means for vibratingsaid screen operatively attached to said screen and carried by an endwall of said vat, fluid delivery means secured below said screen and tothe end wall of said vat, an auger rotatably secured to said vat along alongitudinal axis below said screen, means to rotate said augeroperatively secured thereto, and suction means extending through a sidewall of said vat in communication with the delivery end of said auger,the blade of said auger being provided with a plurality of scoops, saidscoops comprising outwardly struck tongues forming apertures in saidblade, scoops fixedly secured to the shaft of said auger, and saidscoops comprising metal flanges positioned in substantiallyperpendicular relation to said shaft.

9. A material mixing and filling machine comprising an open top vat, ascreen supportably positioned within said vat and extending thelongitudinal length of a lower portion of said vat, means for vibratingsaid screen operatively attached to said screen and carried by an endwall of said vat, fluid delivery means secured belQ s d re n an t t e ndWa l 91 aid v t an auger rotatably secured to said vat along alongitudinal axis below said screen, means to rotate said augeroperatively secured thereto, and suction means extending through a sidewall of said vat in communication with the delivery end of said auger,the blade of said auger being provided with a plurality of scoops, saidscoops comprising outwardly struck tongues forming apertures in saidblade, scoops fixedly secured to the shaft of said auger, and saidscoops comprising metal flanges positioned in substantiallyperpendicular relation to said shaft, said fluid delivery meanscomprising a cylinder having closed ends and having a plurality ofspaced apertures therein, said fluid delivery means having a conduitconnection with a fluid storage tank whereby fluid can be gravity-fed tosaid delivery means.

TOM THOMAS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 752,646 Boughton Feb. 23, 19041,309,836 Beardsley et a1. July 15, 1919 1,725,868 Kenyon Aug. 27, 19292,132,163 Henry Oct. 4, 1938 2,478,079 Beasley et a1. Aug. 2,, 1949

